Hello and welcome to our Smackdown review, right here on The Real Mid Card. I’m just gonna run through this thing old school and take a look at every segment and match. If I missed anything, it really must have been insignificant.

Big E Langston and Fandango battled it out in a surprisingly good opening match, with Damien Sandow joining the announcers. The Intercontinental Champion got the win and had a little stare down with his upcoming challenger afterwards. Randy Orton followed this by coming out and cutting a solid heel promo. He capped it off by making a public apology to The Authority. Daniel Bryan came out to spoil the party and guaranteed that he will be waiting in the wings for the winner of the unification match. I’m not sure how true that will turn out to be, but it’s definitely what we all want to hear. I’d love to see Cena win, and Bryan get the shot at the rumble – a great rematch it would be! The World’s Toughest Vegan then suggested that he and Orton compete in the main event, and so they would.

The Rhodes Brothers took on “Rybaxel” in a pretty average match by their current standards. Axel got the win with the small package on Cody and I guess they are going to be up next for a title shot, which is saddening. Bad News Barrett was back, and entertaining again. Alberto Del Rio performed a vicious beatdown on Kofi Kingston before the bell rang. Then we got to see another excellent Shield promo, which teased more tension between the group. Reigns took the lead in the middle of the shot for once, and they collectively said that the hardest member of the group had to step up to take on Punk in the next match. Ambrose basically called rank on the other two, but you could see Reigns was pissed. This was subtle, well executed and effective. All three guys came off good.

Dean Ambrose went on to have easily the match of the night against Punk. He works that old school rough style so, so well. This match wasn’t filled with high spots or fast paced action. It was a compelling and traditional encounter. It made the Shield man look like the real deal, and he was on top for the most part. Every time he went for a cover, he would throw that forearm across his opponents face – it’s classic heel ground work! Punk managed to get the vice locked in out of nowhere, but Ambrose sucked it up and got to the bottom rope. Punk managed to do the same shortly after when tangled up in a wicked armbar. The Best in the World finally got the win with the GTS, but Dean was more than a match for the former WWE Champion, and got a major rub here with such a good performance. I was very disappointed about this whole handicap match before, but this bout completely turned it all around for me. Major kudos to both guys!

Punk sold the armbar better than Hulk for Leno – Source: World Wrestling Entertainment

Zeb Colter interrupted Rey Mysterio’s backstage interview with Renee for some typically hilarious racism. His boys have the coolest new tracksuits. The luchadore backed his corner well and accepted the challenge of a tag team match. He just had to find himself a partner. More on that later. Tamina Snuka and Natalya locked up. Two great workers with two fantastical heritages. AJ Lee joined the commentary team, which everyone seems to be doing lately. She did a great job burying Natalya. I found it so funny. The match was rather disappointing though, considering it was the two best female workers (bar AJ) on the roster. I guess they probably had their time cut. Tamina missed with the Superfly Splash, and Natalya capitalized to get the pin, and the win. Incidentally, Eva Marie is one of the nominees for Diva of the Year – What the actual fuck?!

Rey Mysterio chose Big Show to join him against The Real Americans. The big man seems to have recovered. The two veterans proved that they still have it, and the two young bucks sold very well. Rey splashed Cesaro from on top of Big Show’s shoulders, which is always impressive and weird to see. That was enough to pick up the win for them. Wade Barrett was back to deliver more bad news ahead of the main event, stirring the pot about backstage heat being on the winner of the unification match at TLC. He sounded like Robert Baratheon (Game of Thrones reference. Yeah, I’m cool) and that’s a good thing!

Daniel Bryan and Randy Orton had a decent enough main event match. Orton got the win with the RKO after the Wyatt boys made the distraction. Then Bray showed up on the screen to deliver more hauntings, and that was that.

8/10

As always, let me explain. The incredible Punk and Ambrose match definitely put the show over the top. Everything else was mostly decent and nothing was really that terrible. A solid show deserving of a good rating. I was entertained.

Last week, Smackdown was superior to RAW. From The Rhodes Brothers against the ex-Paul Heyman Guys to CM Punk vs Dean Ambrose, it was just great wrestling. One day, hopefully, we will get to see Punk/Ambrose on a bigger stage because those two have rejuvenated my interest in wrestling.